Clock alarm



19 1 2 c. w. SCHULZE 2,607,186

CLOCK ALARM Filed June 28, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR 644 005 M4 50/0425 Aug. 19, 1952 c. w. SCHULZE 2,607,186

CLOCK ALARM Filed Jun 28, 1946 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 a! 64- r 43: A a

ATTQQN Patented Aug. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOCK ALARM Claude W. Schulze, Wauwatosa, Wis.

Application June 28, 1946, Serial No. 679,906

' (c1. sex-21.11)

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a clock controlled alarm, and more particularly to a device of this character wherein a second alarm sounds at the end of a pre-determined interval after an initial alarm has begun to ring. The first of these alarms will normally awaken the sleeper who will then shut the alarm off. However, that the sleeper may definitely be awakened, a second alarm sounds a fewminutes later. Inasmuch as this second alarm must also be silenced by manual means if it is not to continue ringing for an extended period, the repeated act of shutting oil the alarm normally results in fully arousing the sleeper.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved alarm clock of the repeating alarm type. A more particular object is to provide an alarm mechanism arranged to provide a second alarm at a pre-determined interval after an initial alarm has sounded. Stillanother object is to provide a repeat-action alarm wherein the second alarm will sound after the first alarm has been manually shut off, and which, in turn,is itself manually shut off, preferably through a different manipulation of the same shut-off means to a new locking position.

The nature of these as well as other objects of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, wherein specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view, partially in section, illus- .trating a clock mechanism, including an alarm, which embodies the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a side View of companion gears which cause the alarm mechanism to become operative, one of said gears being slideably mounted with respect to the other, and the gears here being shown in their widest spaced relationship.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a portion of the mechanism, showing the gears of Fig. 4 in an intermediate spaced position with an attendant sounding of the alarm.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the alarm as silenced by advancement of a manual control.

Fig. 7 is another view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the gears of Fig, 4 in their closest position, and with the manual control again retracted and the alarm sounding,

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross section through the portion of the mechanism shown in Figs. 5'? showing the alarm again silenced by the control which is now raised and locked against further retraction.

Fig. 8a is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the apparatus of Fig. 8, the frame areas adjacent the socket 513 being shown in section.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of another form of clock having an alarm, and it illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a rear view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a side view of the mechanism of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is an end view of a disk element in the device of Fig. 9, and showing in cross section members co-operably engageable with said disk for actuating the alarm.

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view in cross section of the alarm setting elements of the embodiment of the invention in Figs. 9 to 12.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, wherein like parts bear like reference numerals:

The device generally illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 is an electric clock mechanism having a vibrator alarm member which sounds at the pre-determined time set by the user of the clock. Even though this alarm member is arrested by the operator, it again sounds after a period of time has elapsed. It must then be again shut off by the operator and will remain quiet only if the means for shutting off the alarm is secured by the operator in a locking position.

The device illustrated in Figs. 9 through 12 represents another variety of an electric clock mechanism embodying a vibrator alarm, but here a second vibrator has been added in accordance with the features of my invention, and this second member is caused to operate following an interval after the vibrator sounding the first alarm has rung. As is the case with the device illustrated in Figs. 1 through 8, the second alarm signal provided by this clock can only be shut ofi upon the operator's giving careful attention to the shut-01f means whereby the latter is secured in a locking position.

In the clock mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 through 3, there is shown a conventional motor M having a core 9, a coil l0, and an armature shaft ll. The gear box housing the reducing gears of the motor is shown at I2. Core 9 is provided with a vibrator armature I3 having an end It secured against the core near one pole and a free end l5 in operative proximity to the opposite pole. The alternating current conventionally supplied the winding will cause the armature to vibrate if free. Projecting from the vibrator i3 is a clapper arm l6 carrying a clapper I! which, on movement of the vibrator, repeatedly engages a bell l8 to sound the alarm.

The motor drives a central shaft I9 provided with a gear train generally indicated at 20 and including a gear 2| directly connected to the hour hand of the clock, and a gear 22 which is connected to an adjustable alarm hand on the clock. The gear 2| is in mesh with a gear 23, while gear 22 similarly engages a gear 24. The alarm may be set to ring at the desired time by turning a gear 25 mounted on shaft 26 which projects rearwardly of the clock and carries a knurled knob 27. On turning of the shaft 26, wheel 25 engages the gear 24 which in turn engages gear 22, the latter carrying the alarm hand to the desired position.

Gear 24 is provided with an opening 28 positioned to receive a lug 29 carried on the gear member 23. The lug 29 has a shoulder 30. Inasmuch as gear 23 is slideably mounted on its shaft and is constantly urged in a direction toward gear 24, rotation of gear 23 with respect to gear 24 will cause the lug 29 to drop into the openings 23. Since the shoulder 30 will first engage the rear wall 3| of the opening 28, the lug will first drop a portion of its length into the opening 28, which condition is shown in Figs. and 6. As the gear 23 continues to advance, the should-er 30 will become disengaged from the wall 3|, and the lug will drop a further distance into the opening 28. This condition is illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8.

The gear 23 is mounted on a hub 32, and this hub is engaged by a projection 33 carried by a pivotally mounted yoke 34 having an arm 35. Torsion springs 35a are mounted about the respective pivots of the yoke 34, and these springs actthrough the yoke and its projection 33 to urge the gear 23 toward gear 24. The end of the arm 35 is upturned at 36 to provide a cam surface which engages a cam surface 31 formed along one side of the free end l5 of the vibrator I3. Accordingly, as long as the lug 29 on gear 23 has not dropped into the opening 28, the cam surface 36 of the arm 35 will engage the cam surface 31 on the vibrator, thereby preventing the latter from vibrating to sound an alarm. However, as the lug 23 partially drops into the opening 28, the shoulder 30 engaging the wall 3 I, the yoke 34, under the influence of the springs 35a, follows the gear 23 and thereby draws the end of arm 35 out of engagement with the vibrator. This causes the alarm to sound, which condition is illustrated in Fig. 5.

To shut off the alarm, the operator causes cam surface 38 on the free end of the vibrator to be engaged by cam surface 39 carried by a slide 40. This shut-off slide is provided with a handle H which may conveniently be held by the operator in manipulating the slide. The slide 40 is supported in part by means of a bracket 42, and a rearwardly projecting finger 43 on the slide is disposed below the lower surface of the bracket where it prevents the slide from being elevated as the latter is pushed inwardly in the normal manner to shut off the alarm. The forward portion of the slide 48 passes through an opening 44 in the bell and through a second opening 45 in a frame member positioned ahead of the bell (Fig. 1).

When, on further relative rotation between the gears 23 and 24, the shoulder 30 becomes disengaged from the wall 3| and permits the lug 29 to drop completely into the opening (the condition illustrated in Fig. 7) the second alarm will sound. To effect this result, I provide a rocker arm 46 which is pivotally mounted at 41. A compression spring 48 is carried by the upper end of arm 46, and this spring acts to maintain the lower end of the arm in contact with the lateral surface of gear 23. The arm is so positioned that as its lower portion follows the gear23 on the complete dropping of the lug 29 into the opening 28, an upper surface of the arm engages the end of the slide 40 and, under the influence of the spring 48, moves the slide outwardly from under the vibrator, thereby permitting the latter to sound the second alarm.

During the period that the lug 28 remains completely within the opening 28, the alarm will continue to ring, and it cannot be shut 01f merely by pushing in the slide 45, for the spring 48 will again immediately eject the slide. The alarm can only be permanently shut off by simultaneously pushing the slide inwardly and then raising it upwardly so that the tip of its finger- 43 seats within a small detent or socket 55 provided in the lower, transverse portion of the bracket 42 (Fig. 8). The spring 48 aids in maintaining the finger inthis locking position.

It will be apparent that when the lug 29 has fully dropped into the opening 28, the operator must normally be fully awakened before he is capable of performing the more or less exact manipulative steps which are necessary to lock the shut-oil slide in the manner indicated.

A modified form of apparatus incorporating my invention is illustrated in Figs. 9 to 12. In this case the motor of the clock is again generally indicated at M, it having a core 55, a coil 56, and an armature shaft 51. The gear box housing the reducing gears of the motor, and the exterior gear train of the clock, are indicated respectively at 58 and 59. This gear train drives a gear 60 which in turn normally drives the alarm mechanism proper. The alarm is set by turning a rod 6i having a knurled knob 62 thereon. While gear 681s mounted on the rod 6|, it is rotatable with respect to the rod, and turning of the rod by an operator drives the alarm mechanism without turning the gear 6|].

A compression spring 63 is provided which presses the gear against a non-metallic washer 63a carried between the gear 68 and a gear 64, the washer here acting as a friction clutch disk. With the aid of this clutch arrangement, the turning of gear 68 by the clock mechanism also causes rod 6| and gear 64 to rotate, the gear engaging a gear 65 mounted on a shaft 66. Shaft 66 carries a disk wheel 61 (Fig. 12) provided with a notch 68, and as the clock runs, the notched wheel 6! turns and makes one rotation every 12 hours. The relative position of the notch 68 determines the time at which the alarm will sound, and when it is desired to change the alarm setting, the shaft 6! is turned, and through slippage between gears 60 and. 64 over the washer 6312, the position of the wheel 61 is correspondingly advanced over what it would have been had it been constantly carried by the clockwork mechanism. Once the wheel 61 has been manually turned to the proper position, the clockwork mechanism again picks up the turning thereof as the gear 60, under the influenc of the spring 63, turns the gear 64.

As best shown in Fig. 13 the clock face isswept by a second hand 90, a minute hand 9i, and an hour hand 92 which are respectively connected to the concentric shafts 93, 94 and '95. Also rotatable on the clock face is an alarm setting disc 96 on concentric shaft 91. The disc 96 bears alarm setting indicia selectively registerable with the alarm hand 98 which constitutes a back extension of hour hand 92 and turns therewith.

To set the alarm, shaft BI is turned by knob 62 to rotate pinion 94 which is in mesh with gear 99 On alarm disc shaft 91. turns disc 96 relative to alarm hand 98 and simultaneously turns gear 65 on shaft 66 to turn the notched disc 6'! as aforesaid. The alarm indicia on the alarm disc 99 are coordinated with the various positions of the notch 68 on disc 61. Accordingly, the position of notch 68 may be changed in step with the position of the disc 98 relative to the alarm hand 98.

Once set, the disc 96, alarm hand 98, and notched disc 6'! are simultaneously driven in step by meshing of the gear 99, on disc shaft 91, and gear I99 on the alarm and hour hand shaft 94, and gear 65 on the notched disc shaft 66, with pinions 64 and [EH which turn together as powered by the clock motor and by reason of the friction clutch aforesaid. The setting is changed as aforesaid, by rotating shaft 6|, which then drives only the pinion 94 which slips on pinion 10! held fast by the clock movement.

A vibrator armature 99 is mounted on the armature core 55. This vibrator has a fixed end 19 which is maintained adjacent one pole of the core, a laterally projecting finger H, and a free end portion 12 in operative proximity to the other pole, this free end being provided with an upturned cam surface 13. The finger H rides on the slowly turning wheel 67 when the alarm is set to ring, and it thereby maintains the vibrator in the raised position and prevents the sounding thereof. Once the finger H drops into the notch 68, however, the vibrator begins tosound. The operator stops the vibrator from sounding by causing a camway 14 on a slide '15 to engage with the camway T3 of the vibrator, this engagement being effected by pushing the shut-off slide 15 inwardly by means of its handle 18. The slide 15 rides in a slot 11 provided in bearing plates 18, and the slide is friction-ally engaged by a leaf spring 19 having a detent 80 formed therein whereby a raised portion on the spring is provided adjacent the slide. This raised portion on the spring is positioned to engage an opening 8| in the slide when the latter is pushed inwardly to stop the alarm. Rotatably mounted between openings provided in the bearing plates 18 is a shaft 83 carrying a second vibrator alarm member 84 having a free end '85. Shaft 83 is bent upon itself at 89 to form an inwardly projecting finger 81 which, when the alarm is set to ring, rides on the outer surface of the wheel 61 in a position adjacent and slightly behind the finger H 0n the vibrator 69. The structure thereby provided is such that with the approach of notch 98, finger ll first drops therein, thereby causing vibrator 69 to sound an initial alarm. The operator may then stop this first alarm by pressing slide 15 inwardly. About fifteen minutes later, the finger 91 will also drop into the notch 68. This causes shaft 83 to rotate and lowers the free end 85 of the vibrator 84, thereby sounding the second alarm. To shut off this' se'cond alarm, the operator must raise the slide 15 so that the upper portion of the rod not only engages the camway F3 on the vibrator 69, thereby keeping it silent, but also raises the vibrator 84 and thereby stops the second alarm. In this upper position of the rod 15, the raised portionon spring'19 engages a second opening 89 in the slide whereby the slide is in effect locked in such a position that neither alarm may ring until the slide is again withdrawn to re-set the alarm. The slide 15is also provided with a finger 88 which slidably engages an aperture in bearing plate 18 to guide rectilinear movement of the slide until the finger clears the aperture to permit oscillatory movement .of the slide as aforesaid.

I claim:

1. In an alarm clock, the combination with time-controlled means for sounding 'two successive alarms, of a single manual shut-01f device mounted for two distinctly different movements, one of which is longitudinally reciprocative and the other of which is not'reciprocative and in a different direction, and means wherebyone of said movements arrests the first alarm, together with means whereby the other of said movements arrests the second alarm.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the means for sounding successive alarms comprises two separate vibratory members independently acted upon by said shut-01f device.

3. The combination set forth in claim' 1 in which the means for sounding successive alarms comprises a single vibratory member, a clockwork mechanism comprising a controllable detent and means for releasing said detent for accommodating vibration of said member, said mechanism comprising a further releasing means acting on said shut-off device for dislodgin it to permit continued vibration of said member V 4. In an alarm clock of the type comprising a clockwork mechanism, a vibratory member, a detent for said member, andadjustable detent releasing means actuated by said mechanism, the

combination of a manually operable shut-off device comprising a second detent means engageable with said member and mounted for two separate operative movements, the said adjustable means of said clockwork mechanism comprising a secondary trip deviceand motion-transmitting connections therefrom to said shut-off device for the dislodgment thereof to permit a second operation of said member, saidshut-off device having means requiring a separate movement for effecting the restraint of said member following such dislodgment.

5. In an alarm clock, the combination with vibratory alarm means, of time-controlled detent mechanism comprising a clockwork, an adjustable rotor driven thereby, detent means for said alarm means, means whereby said rotor effects two closely consecutive releases of said detent means, a manually operable slide, means providing a guideway in which said slide is reciprocable and also oscillatable, saidslidehaving cam means effective in the reciprocation of said slide for restraining said alarm means following reciprocation of the slide, and having means effective upon the oscillation of said slide for, restraining said alarm means following oscillation of the slide.

6. In a time-indicating device having alarm means associated therewith, the combination with a rotatable Wheel having a transverse opening therein, the relative position of rotation of which wheel is responsive to the time-setting of the alarm, of a time-controlled, driven, axially movable gear mounted adjacent said rotatable wheel and axially therewith, said gear carrying a lug provided with a shoulder, the lug bein arranged to engage in the opening in said wheel in two successive stages, first as limited by the engagement of the shoulder on the lug with a wall of the ope'ningyand secondly as said lug passes entirely'into the opening on relative rotation of the gear with respect to the wheel to free the said shoulder, alarm means including initial and second alarm sounding mechanism, said mechanism comprising a first follower means associated with said gear arranged to free the said mechanism for an initial alarm at the first of said stages, an alarm disengaging means arranged to silence said mechanism following said initial alarm on inward movement of the disengaging means, a second follower means associated with said gear and arranged to move said alarm disengaging means outwardly at the second of said stages to free said mechanism for a second alarm, said mechanism being silenced on the successive inward and upward movement of the alarm disengaging means to a locking position.

7. In an alarm clock having time-controlled means for sounding two successive alarms and detent mechanism operable upon said means for restraining it from sounding the respective alarms, the improvement which comprises a single shut-off device having a mounting pro vided with means guiding said device for two distinctly different movements, one of which is longitudinally reoiprocative and the other is oscillatory, and motion transmitting connections leading from said device to said mechanism and comprising means whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said device actuates said mechanism for arresting the first of said alarms, and means whereby the oscillatory movement of said device is required to actuate said mechanism to arrest the second of said alarms.

8. The combination set forth which the means for sounding alarms comprises two separate ments.

9. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which the means for sounding the successive alarms comprises a single vibratory element and an ejector for moving said detent mechanism from its alarm arresting position, following the first of said alarms, said shut-off device having a lock engageable upon the oscillation of said device for locking said device and the mechanism controlled thereby in a position to resist said ejector and to maintain said mechanism in a position to arrest said sounding means to interrupt the second of said alarms.

10. In an alarm clock having time-controlled means for sounding two successive alarms, the combination withshut-off mechanism comprising in claim 7 in the successive vibrating elea reciprocable and oscillatable plunger for ar-' resting the operation of .the respective alarms, said plunger having means adapted upon the reciprocation thereof for acting upon said means to arrest the first of said alarms, and means effective only upon the oscillation of said plunger for acting on said means to arrest the second of said alarms, together with a guide frame having portions guidin said plunger for oscillation and reciprocation.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10 in which said guide frame has a slot and the plunger comprises a slide reciprocablein the slot, a finger connected with the slide and spaced therefrom, a portion of the frame being confined between the slide and the finger to restrain the slide against oscillationduring a portion of its range 8 of reciprocation, said frame havin means engageable with another portion of said slide when said slide isreciprocated for a sufficient distance to free said finger, and is oscillated to second alarm arresting position.

12. An alarm clock having time-controlled means for sounding two successive alarms, the combination with a frame providing spaced guide apertures, of a slide longitudinally reciprocable through respective apertures, one of the apertures comprising a slot permitting the slide to oscillate about its engagement with the other of said apertures, a finger connected with the slide and interlocked with the frame to preclude such oscillation during a limited portion of the range of reciprocation of the slide, said finger being free of the frame when said slide is reciprocated beyond the said portion of its range of recipro cation, the said frame having a separate opening with which said finger is engageable when said finger is freed of the frame and said slide is oscillated, and alarm shut-off means connected with the slide and selectively operable according to the position of reciprocation and oscillation thereof.

13. The combination set forth in claim 12 in which the alarm sounding means comprises a slide retracting spring and mechanism for rendering said spring operative when the second of said successive alarms is to be sounded, the slide comprising means for maintaining said spring under compression and said shut-off mechanism operative when said finger is engaged with the last mentioned opening of the frame.

14. In an alarm clock having time controlled means for sounding two successive alarms comprising two separate vibrating elements, the combination with a frame providing spaced guide apertures, of a slide longitudinally reciprocable through the respective apertures, one of the apertures comprising a slot permitting the slide to oscillate about its engagement with the other of said apertures, a finger connected with the slide and interlocked with the frame to preclude such oscillation during a limited portion of the range of reciprocation of the slide, said finger being free of the frame when said slide is reciprocated beyond the said portion of its range of reciprocation, the said frame and slide having interengaging locking means which engage when said finger is freed of the frame and said frame is oscillated, the said slide having separate alarm shut-off means for the respective vibrating elements and selectively operable according to the position of reciprocation and oscillation of the slide.

CLAUDE W. SCHULZE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

